Cincinnati, OH  (Profitable.com)  Healthy Advice® Networks, the nation’s leading provider of award-winning patient and physician engagement programs at point-of-care, is pleased to announce they have been recognized again for outstanding consumer health information by the National Health Information Awards (NHIA).  This year nearly 1,000 entries were submitted by some of the most prestigious health institutions in the country, resulting in a total of 562 awards given for superior health information programs.  Healthy Advice Networks emerged as the leader, garnering 10 percent of all of the awards—three times more than the next closest healthcare organization.

The highly-coveted “Best of Show” was awarded to only two of the 1,000 entries.  This year the NHIA recognized Healthy Advice Networks and the Discovery Channel as winners, choosing Healthy Advice OB/GYN Waiting Room Network for its exemplary programming.

“Our creative team works tirelessly to create patient engagement programs that can help improve health outcomes and change patients’ lives,” stated Sabrina Shattles, Editor in Chief, EVP Editorial and Creative, Healthy Advice Networks. “We have been recognized for eight consecutive years by the NHIA for outstanding health programs.   This year we are especially gratified to be recognized as one of only two companies awarded the 2011 ‘Best of Show’ award and honored that the NHIA chose one of our networks in its entirety, not simply an individual program.  It is a fitting testament to the quality of our work and the passion of our people.”

Deborah Schnell, President of Sales and Strategic Planning at Healthy Advice Networks added, “Earning 10 percent of all awards, competing with such respected organizations as the American Cancer Society, the CDC, and the March of Dimes, is quite a distinction.  Our clients understand and appreciate the value of working with an award-winning content provider.  Our ability to provide contextual relevance to sponsoring brands enables us to deliver extraordinary outcomes and is one of the reasons our programs are considered among the best in the country.”

Healthy Advice Networks delivers patient-engagement programs in primary care, cardiology, women’s health, pediatric, gastroenterology, urology, dermatology, and rheumatology practices.  The company also delivers health information and late-breaking news directly to physicians and their staff through PracticeWire®, the only product located in the physician’s back office where healthcare practitioners can access information while practicing medicine.

About Healthy Advice® Networks

Healthy Advice® Networks is the leading provider of educational engagement programs targeting physicians and consumers. With programs in the physician’s waiting room, exam room, back-office, and hospitals, Healthy Advice Networks gives brands the greatest communication channel in the industry when both physicians and consumers are solely focused on improving health outcomes.  Combining the latest technologies with digital content and print, and impacting over 435 million patient and caregiver visits annually, Healthy Advice Networks reaches patients of all ages and learning styles to deliver forecast-altering business results for their sponsoring pharmaceutical and consumer health and wellness clients.  A growing network of over 53,000 primary care and specialty physicians and 550 hospitals throughout the U.S. have chosen Healthy Advice Networks for their patient engagement needs. For more information, visit the website at HealthyAdviceNetworks.com.

Cincinnati, OH  (Profitable.com)  From a highly-competitive pool of over 80 applicants, Tide Dry Cleaners® has been selected by The Hub Magazine as the Ultimate Hub Prize Winner in the 2011 Hub Prize competition, and recipient of the coveted Hub Cup trophy. The inaugural edition of the Hub Prize competition celebrates best-in-class excellence and innovation in the retail experience and environment.

Tide Dry Cleaners® is an innovative expansion to the iconic Tide brand, leveraging the brand’s 65-year heritage in cleaning to delight consumers with a greater level of service and performance in dry cleaning.  Tide Dry Cleaners currently operates in six retail locations in Kansas City and Greater Cincinnati, with many additional outlets currently under development across the United States through a network of individual franchisees and entrepreneurs.

“We are both honored and humbled to be awarded the 2011 Ultimate Hub Prize,” says Aaron Eisel, Director of Marketing, Tide Dry Cleaners. “We feel very strongly about this business and the impact we can deliver for our customers, and are thrilled to see such positive recognition from The Hub Magazine, its subscribers, and its highly-distinguished and experienced panel of judges.”

The Hub Magazine is a business and marketing publication (online and print) that showcases innovation and breakthrough ideas, and the people behind them, in retail and shopper marketing.  The publication is targeted at the top marketers in America’s largest companies, and in the six short years since it was launched, it has secured a strong and loyal customer and subscriber base.

The Hub Prize Competition emerged as a natural extension of The Hub Magazine’s focus and dialogue, celebrating the many ways that retailers, brand marketers, agencies, design firms, technology companies, research firms, consultants and others make the retail experience excellent for customers, both online and in-store.  The judging for the competition is conducted by a panel of 25 independent experts and thought leaders from corporations, academia, and marketing/ad agencies.  Competitors were graded on criteria including: innovation; the shopper insight and emotional connection; how much the initiative improved the retail experience; and business results achieved.

As the top winner in the competition, Tide Dry Cleaners has now been highlighted and showcased on the Hub website at: http://www.hubmagazine.com, in addition to being prominently-featured in a special supplement to the November print and online issues of The Hub Magazine, along with 35 other Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.

The Tide Dry Cleaners business model is a natural extension to the Tide brand, following extensive P&G research and interaction with dry cleaning customers that confirmed that they were not satisfied with their current dry cleaning experience, often citing poor customer service, inconsistent cleaning performance and unsatisfactory clothing appearance as outages. Tide Dry Cleaners has responded to this consumer feedback by setting a new standard in dry cleaning.  Each location offers convenient, 24-hour access, a clear pricing structure, and many locations can also include drive-thru valet service.

Tide Dry Cleaners also brings industry-leading innovation and breakthrough cleaning technology to its customers. Through its partnership with GreenEarth®, and utilization of other P&G fabric care cleaning solutions for wet and dry cleaning, Tide Dry Cleaners is able to deliver amazing cleaning for a wide range of garments and textiles.

“Our close relationship with consumers and our focus on consumer-driven innovation has allowed us to better-understand the needs of the dry cleaning customer,” says Eisel. “We’re proud to offer a new dry cleaning experience to our customers, and we look forward to bringing Tide Dry Cleaners to more people throughout the country in the near future.”

Tide Dry Cleaners Cleaning Benefits:

• Tide Back-to-Black™: Helps get even more life and wear from all-black cotton garments with an infusion of color.
• Tide ColorGuard™: Helps keep colors where they belong – in your clothes.
• Tide SpotLift™: Stain removal technology for a deep down fiber clean.
• Tide FreshScent™: Finally, dry cleaning with a crisp and clean scent.
• Tide Restore™ for Colors: Helps bring faded colors back to life.
• Tide Restore™ for Whites: Helps whites stay bright.

Rising Tide®

Tide Dry Cleaners is actively seeking passionate entrepreneurs for franchising opportunities across the United States.  For more information on these opportunities, or to learn more about the innovative Tide Dry Cleaners business, please visithttp://www.tidedrycleaners.com.

About Tide®

For 65 years, Tide has been caring for the clothes of American families and helping to provide the everyday miracle of clean clothing. Please visit http://www.tide.com for helpful product information, practical tips on laundry care, special offers and promotions, updated fabric care articles, and an interactive Stain Detective, which provides official Tide stain removal solutions.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company’s leadership brands include Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, and Ambi Pur®. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About P&G FutureWorks

P&G FutureWorks is the “Entrepreneurial Engine” for Procter & Gamble.  As an important and integrated Corporate New Business Incubation Unit within P&G, we have responsibility and resources to create and operate businesses, from idea to scale-up, which involve new categories, new business models, or new capabilities for our Company. By connecting with best-in-class innovators and external partners, our scope has expanded beyond P&G’s strategic core businesses into new channels and domains.  Franchising is one of those key domains, resulting in the successful launch of both Tide Dry Cleaners® and Mr. Clean Car Wash® through Agile Pursuits Franchising, Inc. (APFI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Procter & Gamble Company.  For more information on P&G FutureWorks and our current focus areas, please visit our newly-launched website at http://futureworks.pg.com.

About GreenEarth® Cleaning

GreenEarth was founded in 1999 by three experienced dry cleaners, Jim Barry, Ron Benjamin and Jim Douglas. GreenEarth technology is licensed by more than 1300 dry cleaners worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.greenearthcleaning.com.

Santa Barbara, CA  (Profitable.com)  Lexus captured the highest Perceived Quality rating for alternative fuel vehicles with an overall PQS of 89.8 (out of 100), according to the Fall 2011 Perceived Quality Study (PQS) from ALG, a subsidiary of TrueCar, Inc. and the industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data. Mercedes (88.8), Porsche (86.7), BMW (86.7) and Honda (85.6) rounded out the top five, respectively. Tesla (PQS 69.5) was the top brand for purely alternative manufacturers, but when stacked up against brands that sell both alternative fuel and gas-powered vehicles, the brand landed in the middle of the pack.

“That Lexus made a strong entrance into the survey and took the crown after not being a part of the 2010 survey for alternative fuel vehicles, is a testament to the brand’s overall reputation.  Given that perceptions often hold across the full spectrum of models a manufacturer produces, it’s not surprising that Lexus, which holds the top spot in the overall market survey, would also nab the top spot here,” states Eric Lyman, director, Residual Value Solutions, ALG. “Tesla’s relatively low ranking against brands that also produce gasoline-powered vehicles, along with low rankings for primarily alternative fuel brands overall, is likely due to the fact that these manufacturers are less well known and have not yet established a solid reputation with the public.”

For its PQS, ALG surveys approximately 3,000-4,000 U.S. consumers twice a year to gauge perceptions of a number of luxury and mainstream brands.  This is the second year the company has surveyed the public about alternative fuel vehicles.  Lyman continues, “Buyer perception of a brand can dramatically affect a brand’s entire lineup, either positively or negatively.  Our PQS is powerful intelligence for the retail automotive industry, especially in the new hyper competitive landscape of alternative fuel vehicles.”

Additional highlights from the survey include: in the alternative-only brands Fisker took the second spot with a PQS of 49.5, followed by Phoenix (44.8), Aptera (40.0) and Zenn (39.6).  Among brands that sell both alternative fuel and gasoline-powered vehicles, Jeep saw the largest upward movement (PQS 55.9) after ranking last in the 2010 survey.

The complete list with scores and details is available at: https://www.alg.com/pdf/pqs_2011_fall_alt_report_final.pdf.

About ALG

Based in Santa Barbara, California, ALG is a leading provider of data and consulting services to the automotive industry.  ALG publishes the “Automotive Lease Guide” – the standard for residual value projections in North America, and has been forecasting automotive residual values for over 45 years in both the U.S. and Canadian markets.

About TrueCar, Inc.

TrueCar, Inc. is an innovative automotive marketplace that benefits both buyers and sellers by providing a significantly better customer experience while helping qualified dealer partners to gain incremental market share and reduce costs. As a transparent, visual publisher of new car transaction data, TrueCar.com price reports help both dealers and consumers to agree on the parameters of a fair deal by providing an accurate, comprehensive and simple understanding of what others actually paid for the identically equipped new car over the last 30 days both locally and nationally.

TrueCar, Inc. works with a national network of over 5,000 Certified Dealers that provide up-front, no-haggle, competitive pricing to assist some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations to meet the auto buying needs of their members and customers. These partnerships include American Express, AAA, USAA and more than 60 others. Collectively these audiences represent over 1M in-market customers each month.

TrueCar, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and has offices in San Francisco and Austin, Texas.

Auburn Hills, MI  (Profitable.com)

• Automotive journalists and elite athletes judge a field of entrants in choosing annual Active Lifestyle Vehicle (ALV) winners
• Awards come just days after Wrangler and Grand Cherokee win Texas Auto Writers Association awards
• 2012 Jeep Wrangler’s new 3.6-liter V-6 engine improves fuel efficiency up to 21 miles per gallon, while delivering 285 horsepower (40 percent improvement) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (10 percent improvement)
• Jeep Grand Cherokee – the most-awarded SUV in history – offers unmatched blend of on-road refinement and class-leading capability

A group of automotive journalists and elite athletes from a variety of sports gathered in Phoenix last week to choose the Active Lifestyle Vehicle (ALV) winners for 2012. The new 2012 Jeep Wrangler captured the “Best Value Off-Road” award, while the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee earned top honors in the “Luxury Off-Road” category.

“Both the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee beat out vehicles which had dominated their competitive segments for multiple seasons,” said Nina Russin, automotive journalist and ALV program founder. “The new, more powerful engine and the reconfigured cargo area make the Wrangler a very easy vehicle to live with on a daily basis, as well as a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts who like to get off the grid on the weekends.

“The tremendous improvements to the interior of the Grand Cherokee in terms of design, fit and finish, as well as the new engine were in my opinion both game changers. And of course, the Grand Cherokee remains capable of navigating the most extreme off-road trails,” Russin added.

The ALV evaluations took into consideration overall vehicle design, engine power, fuel efficiency, and cargo capability. In the final tally, the athletes’ votes and those of the journalist jury panel each accounted for 50 percent.

“Jeep vehicles offer the perfect blend of fun, performance and capability – and are built for any adventure – so Grand Cherokee and Wrangler were right at home in this unique competition,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “We are delighted to have earned awards in both the Value and Luxury categories with the two pillars of the Jeep brand.”

2012 Jeep Wrangler

Jeep Wrangler – the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world – becomes even more capable both on- and off-road for 2012, courtesy of an all-new, more fuel efficient and more powerful 3.6-liter V-6 engine, and a new five-speed automatic transmission – both of which it shares with the award-winning Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chrysler Group’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine – winner of the prestigious Ward’s 10 Best Engines award – delivers 285 horsepower (209 kW) and 260 (353 Nm) lb.-ft. of torque, while delivering up to 21 miles per gallon highway in the 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The improvement, when compared to the previous 3.8-liter V-6 engine, is 40 percent in horsepower and 10 percent in torque.

Additionally, for refined shifting and greater performance, the Jeep Wrangler migrates from a four-speed to a new five-speed automatic transmission. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler also features the company’s first application of a manual transmission to the Pentastar V-6.

Jeep continues to refine the successful Wrangler formula by combining legendary, benchmark capability with an interior that delivers rich styling with significantly upgraded touch surfaces, occupant comfort and versatility, and a premium appearance courtesy of a body color hard top for the popular Sahara and Rubicon models.

2012 Jeep Wrangler interior highlights include a recently redesigned instrument panel and storage areas with improved ergonomics and upgraded materials. A lockable console and upgraded door armrest areas boast comfortable touch points, while a redesigned center stack is easier to reach and operate. Heated, power mirrors are available, and drivers and passengers enjoy enhanced visibility courtesy of large rear windows.

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The all-new-for-2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee captured more than 30 awards, making it the most-awarded SUV ever. Grand Cherokee delivers premium on-road performance while maintaining the Jeep brand’s legendary four-wheel-drive, torque-on-demand two-speed transfer case and towing capability. It offers improved fuel economy (up to 23 miles per gallon), a driving range of more than 550 miles, superb on-road ride and handling, a world-class interior cabin, more than 45 safety and security features, and a variety of advanced technology features.

Contributing to Grand Cherokee’s class-leading capability is the combination of Jeep’s Quadra-Lift™ air suspension system and the Jeep Selec-Terrain™ traction control system that lets customers choose the 4×4 setting for the optimum driving experience on all terrains.

The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee is available with three 4×4 systems, and with either V-6 or V-8 powertrains.

Jeep Brand

Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV brand with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence.

The Jeep vehicle lineup includes Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. To meet consumer demand around the world, all six Jeep models are sold outside North America – and all are available in right-hand drive versions and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Chrysler Group LLC sells and services vehicles in approximately 120 countries around the world.

Toronto  (Profitable.com)  KineticD™, has ranked number 331 on Technology Fast 500^™, Deloitte’s ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on the percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the period from 2006-2010; KineticD’s grew 253 percent during this period.

KineticD’s chief executive officer, Jamie Brenzel, credits its industry leadership, providing SMBs with a robust, flexible and economic means of protecting business-critical digital assets with a complete hybrid solution including both local and cloud copies with the company’s explosive revenue growth. Jamie Brenzel said, “The 2011 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 is North America’s pre-eminent technology awards program, celebrating leadership, innovation and excellence in the technology sector, honoring emerging, industry leaders. We are extremely honored to have been placed on this prestigious list and we look forward to continuing to demonstrate our leadership and commitment to advancing technology in our industry.”

“KineticD and all the Technology Fast 500 winners in 2011 have shown a remarkable drive for creativity and innovation, and of course growth, particularly when you look at their accomplishments in the context of current economic challenges,” saidRichard Lee, National Leader, Technology Media & Telecommunications Industry Group, Deloitte Canada. “Deloitte congratulates KineticD for this significant achievement.”

“We are pleased to honor KineticD as one of the 2011 Technology Fast 500,” said Mark Jensen, managing partner, technology and venture capital services, Deloitte & Touche LLP. “As one of the fastest growing tech companies in North America, KineticD has demonstrated technological innovation, entrepreneurship and rapid growth.”

For additional detail on the Technology Fast 500 including selection and qualifying criteria, visit www.fast500.com.

Social Media Destinations:

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/kineticd
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kineticd
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/kineticd-formerly-data-deposit-box

About KineticD

KineticD™ sets a new standard by providing small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with the same level of service and protection for irreplaceable digital assets that large enterprises rely on. It delivers comprehensive solutions that enable SMBs to continuously backup, restore, access, and share information online from any location. Its agile, cloud-based services are specifically designed for SMBs that want to activate their digital assets and more efficiently share and collaborate through improved access to information. Founded in 2002, the company’s industry-acclaimed Data Deposit Box product delivers advanced, patented technology that is used daily by over 40,000 customers and is supported around the world through an extensive partner network. Its acquisition of ROBOBAK™, a leading provider of hybrid cloud backup software for MSPs and the Remote Offices/Branch Offices (ROBO) of small enterprises has been integrated into its technology offerings. For a free trial or to request more information, visit www.kineticd.com.

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Kim Dearborn
Nadel Phelan
+1-831-440-2407
kim.dearborn@nadelphelan.com

Atlanta, GA  (Profitable.com)   Winners of the 2011 Excalibur Awards were recently announced during a special ceremony at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel that attracted an audience of more than 300 leaders from Georgia’s business community. The Excalibur Awards, presented by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) in collaboration with the Business and Technology Alliance of TAG (B&TA), recognize the Georgia companies and organizations demonstrating the best use of technology for challenges in business and education.

“Technology has become a vital part of the business world today and Georgia companies are leading the charge in both creating and implementing technology,” said Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. “The winners of the 2011 Excalibur Awards are all great examples of the innovative spirit alive in our state and are shining examples to the business community of the success that can be created through the creative use of technology.”

The 2011 winners are:

Small
Promotional ScreenPrint and Digital, Inc. (PSP) is a digital print and screen printing company producing POP materials inDecatur. The company implemented a manufacturing operations management (MOM) portal solution to centralize company data (such as job status, inventory, sales orders, etc.). PSP was able to increase efficiencies, decrease email use by 50% and win more business without adding staff.

Mid-Sized
DIRTT Environmental Solutions is an award-winning modular wall manufacturer for commercial and industrial settings. The company is recognized for its use of ICE software, which uses 2D and 3D graphic communication to envision, design, specify, price, manufacture and deliver DIRTT product. Integrated into ICE is ICEcycle, a reconfiguration tool for product lifecycle management. ICEcycle captures all elements from an existing modular layout and inventories, sorts, locates and defines each part available, all in real time, and reduces design time by up to 60%. ICE and ICEcycle vastly improve the precision, speed and custom capabilities of DIRTT’s manufacturing and installation processes while maximizing use of all pre-existing parts in an interior redesign.

Large
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is a global company operating seven well-known hotel brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. IHG also manages Priority Club Rewards. The company won for its use of Smart Cache Services, which provides better accuracy on room availability and rates when Global Distribution System (GDS) Partners and Online Travel Agencies (such as www.travelocity.com) pull this information from IHG’s reservation processing system. Smart Cache has saved the company a $1.5 million upgrade and has helped IHG’s partners realize similar savings through a reduction in the number of transactions and in increased look to book ratio.

Educational
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is a premier 21st century liberal arts college where learning takes place continuously and beyond the confines of the classroom. The school offers organic chemistry, which is perhaps one of the most challenging undergraduate classes. In fact 40% of first semester students nationwide taking organic chemistry change their career goals and do not continue on to the second semester of that course. GGC tackled this challenge by launching the “iTouch Chemistry Project” which taps into the strengths of the smart phone to provide flash cards, podcasts and other supporting materials to students on the go. The school’s organic chemistry students now have over 90% success rate with the two semester organic sequence.

Creative
The Weather Channel (TWC) has brought timely weather information to the world since 1982. Beginning as a 24-hour, 7-day television network devoted entirely to weather, it has expanded across several mediums to bring the breaking weather to its viewers and users. Desiring to tap into the explosion of social media and the immediate and personal access to information it can provide, TWC added social to all TWC platforms to make the company’s storytelling more complete. TWC partnered with Twitter to filter weather-relevant content and match it to the user’s location for display across all of The Weather Channel properties. Following major weather events, including Hurricane Irene, TWC saw record social numbers through The Weather Channel Social.

For more information about TAG and the Excalibur Awards, visit http://www.tagonline.org/excalibur-awards.php.

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

About The Business and Technology Alliance of TAG
The Business and Technology Alliance of TAG is focused on addressing the challenges of today’s fast paced marketplace by bringing together business leaders and technology innovators to address key business issues. Their mission is to foster business innovation through the exploration of technological advancements and the ways in which these technologies can help corporations in all industries to solve complex problems and be more competitive. For more information, visithttp://www.tagonline.org/tag-business-technology-alliance.php.

Anaheim, CA  (Profitable.com)  Contiki Vacations, the worldwide leader in fun travel packages for 18-35 year olds, is honored to receive a Silver Award for their successful interactive Facebook campaign “Get on the Bus.” Contiki, one of only 11 tour operators honored, generated more than 10 million ad impressions and 8,000 Likes for Contiki’s page.

“This campaign was about driving brand engagement, generating excitement around travel, and utilizing the technology of our times to inspire and entertain our audience,” said Greg Fischbein, President of Contiki Vacations. “In partnership with Affinitive, “Get On The Bus” delivered as designed – the award is icing on a tasty cake.”

The social media-driven promotion ran from February through mid-April, challenging Contiki’s Facebook fans to create a virtual bus, gather four friends, choose a trip, and then get as many votes as possible to win a dream vacation.

About the Magellan Awards

The Travel Weekly Magellan Awards recognize the best in the travel industry, and honors outstanding efforts of travel professionals in fields such as design, marketing, and services.

About Contiki

Contiki has inspired 18 – 35 year olds to travel to the world’s most fantastic destinations for 50 years. The trips are hassle-free and include the perfect mix of sightseeing, culture and free time. Travelers can choose from over 190 itineraries throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, South America, & the USA. For more information, please visit http://www.Contiki.com.

Irving, TX  (Profitable.com)  As baseball season comes to a close Hostess® has announced the three grand prize winners of its summer Baseball Sweepstakes which invited fans across the country to enter for a chance to win exciting prizes including $10,000 in cash or a trip to see their favorite major league team play in a city of their choice and $100Stub Hub gift cards for baseball tickets.

The three lucky grand prize winners are Lance Guffey of Vandalia IL, George Karnavas of Cleveland, OH, and Karen Katsbulasof Pinellas Park, FL.

More than 272,800 Hostess fans took part in the Hostess Baseball Sweepstakes by purchasing specially marked multipacks of Hostess Twinkies®, Hostess Chocolate CupCakes®, and limited-edition packages of Hostess Baseballs – delicious chocolate cup cakes with vanilla icing and red icing “stitching.” The special, summer time packaging featured on-pack promotion codes which consumers could use to register online for a chance to win. In addition to the three grand prize winners, 250 consumers won $100 Stub Hub gift cards.

About the Winners

Ho Hos® lover and all-around Hostess fan Lance Guffey from Vandalia, IL has been enjoying Hostess since he was young. As a child, Lance’s grandfather would take him to haul grain at his farm and they would always stop at the local coffee shop for a Hostess Honey Bun. ”I had it warmed up a little so it was like it was fresh from the oven,” Lance said. ”Thanks for bringing back that awesome memory.” He is planning on spending his $10,000 grand prize on orthodontic treatment for his son, and to help fund a summer vacation next year.

George Karnavas from Cleveland Ohio has fond memories from his childhood of eating Twinkies and watching “The Howdy Doody Show” where the delicious treats were featured. He thinks that his favorite Hostess treats, Raspberry Zingers®, are the perfect comfort food. When he found out he was a grand prize winner of the summer Baseball Sweepstakes, George says, “My wife and I celebrated by breaking out a nice cold bottle of milk and a box of Hostess Chocolate CupCakes.”

Karen Katsbulas has an affinity for Hostess Sno Balls® and Ding Dongs®, though she recently discovered 100 Calorie Packs and now considers them her favorite treat. Karen’s first contact with Hostess came when she immigrated to the United Statesfrom England at the age of eight. “One bite and I was hooked,” she remembers. Karen is planning on using her grand prize to help pay for a recent trip to Thailand where she had been working as a volunteer to rescue elephants.

To help fans get better connected with Hostess snack cakes, an official Facebook page has been launched filled with fun exclusives, new recipes, giveaways and contests. Visit us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Hostess and find out about our latest promotions. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hostess_snacks or visit http://www.hostesscakes.comfor more information.

Hostess Brands, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest providers of fresh-baked bread and sweet goods, sold under various brand names including Wonder®, Merita®, Home Pride®, Nature’s Pride®, Hostess®, Drake’s®, and Dolly Madison. The Company is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

Arlington, VA  (Profitable.com)  State education leaders from Illinois and Maine are the recipients of the 2011 Distinguished Service Award by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). The national award is given annually to state board of education members in recognition of outstanding service to public education.

“Through their continued diligence and devotion to the needs of students, Jesse Ruiz and Nancy Perkins exemplify what it means to be state board members,” said NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn. “Hundreds of board members serve their states every year and their accomplishments remain largely unsung even though state boards provide an independent voice for the public in developing and implementing education policy for the nation’s schoolchildren. Today we celebrate the accomplishments and vision of two people who so ably further the cause of quality public education not only in their home states, but everywhere in the U.S.”

Jesse Ruiz served on the Illinois State Board of Education from the time of its reconstitution in 2004 until 2011, when he left to serve as vice chairman of the Chicago Board of Education. During his tenure as the state board chairman, Mr. Ruiz worked extensively on reducing the dropout rate and increasing the graduation rate with the board raising the legal dropout age from 16 to 17. Under his leadership, the board clarified rules for enrolling students, making it easier for homeless, migrant, and other students in at-risk situations access to public education.

Nancy Perkins has worked in education for 30 years and has served on the Maine State Board of Education since 2009. In just two years, she has shown great leadership on the board in many ways, including a major role in the development of the Maineboard’s five-year strategic plan, as well as chairing the Certification and Higher Education Committee and testifying before legislative committees. Mrs. Perkins is also the board’s representative on the state Professional Standards Board and serves on a stakeholders’ group that is reviewing educator preparation programs.

The awards are being presented at NASBE’s national conference in Atlanta on October 14.

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. NASBE exists to strengthen State Boards as the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for citizens and students. For more, visit www.nasbe.org.

New York  (Profitable.com)  LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPSN) has announced its inclusion in Software Magazine’s Software 500 ranking of the world’s largest software and service providers, now in its 29th year.  LivePerson was ranked in the top 250 with revenues of$109.9 million in 2010, representing a 25.6% improvement over 2009.

“We are proud to have made Software Magazine’s list for the fourth year in a row despite the competitive nature of this industry,” said LivePerson CEO Rob LoCascio.  ”Our consecutive inclusion in the top 500 is a testament to the consistent value and innovation we deliver through our intelligent engagement platform – companies are able to meaningfully connect with their consumers across multiple channels, strengthening their business and brand loyalty.”

LivePerson’s intelligent engagement platform enables businesses to create meaningful, real-time consumer connections that help increase conversions and improve the customer experience across multiple channels and screens. This intelligent engagement is powered by advanced analytics and a broad set of behavioral data that enables a real-time understanding and action based on customer needs and business objectives.

“In 2011 more than 100 companies made the Software 500 list for the first time, a reflection of the true dynamic nature of the industry,” said John P. Desmond, editor of Software Magazine and Softwaremag.com.

The Software 500 is a revenue-based ranking of the world’s largest software and services suppliers, targeting medium to large enterprises, their IT professionals, software developers, and business managers involved in software and services purchasing.

Financial information was gathered by a survey prepared by King Content Co. and posted at www.softwaremag.com, as well as from public documents.

About LivePerson

LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPSN) offers a platform that enables businesses to proactively connect in real-time with their customers via chat, voice, and content delivery at the right time, through the right channel, including websites, social media, mobile devices, and consoles. This “intelligent engagement” is driven by real-time behavioral analytics, producing connections based on a true understanding of business objectives and customer needs.

More than 8,500 companies rely on LivePerson’s platform to increase conversions and improve customer experience, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Verizon, Sky, Walt Disney, PNC, QVC and Orbitz.

LivePerson has received the CODiE award for Best Ecommerce Solution in 2011, and has been named one of America’s 25 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies by Forbes in 2011, and a Company of the Year by Frost and Sullivan in 2010.  LivePerson is headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Atlanta, London and Melbourne, Australia.

About Digital Software Magazine and Softwaremag.com

Digital Software Magazine, the Software Decision Journal, has been a brand name in the high-tech industry for more than 35 years. Softwaremag.com, its Web counterpart, is the online catalog to enterprise software and the home of the Software 500 ranking of the world’s largest software and services companies. Software Magazine and Softwaremag.com are owned and operated by King Content Co.

Women’s Health Specialists, one of the region’s most trusted and respected names in women’s health care, has once again received national acclaim for its superior health care performance. The Better Performer status was given to Women’s Health Specialists by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). According to the MGMA’s Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data, Women’s Health Specialists was identified as a “better performer” because of Profitability and Cost Management compared with similar medical groups nationwide. Only about 400 medical groups in the entire nation received this ranking.

“Our area of proficiency of Profitability and Cost Management speaks highly of the attention to detail throughout all levels of our business,” said Bill Hughes, Administrator, Women’s Health Specialists. “We take great pride in managing a wellness organization that is focused on maintaining excellent patient care without undue expenses or patient dissatisfaction. Cost management is certainly one of the key elements in that endeavor,” added Hughes.

“We have invested in state-of-the-art equipment and technology to assure each and every one of our patients is getting the absolute best care possible at the most reasonable cost,” said Jeremy S. Singer, M.D. FACOG, Women’s health Specialists. “That coupled with the long term stability of our practice means patients really have come to trust and respect the level of quality we provide each and every day,” added Dr. Singer. Women’s Health Specialists has achieved the national ranking five of the last seven years, receiving the highest level of national ranking in two of those years.

The MGMA report and ranking has been a benchmarking standard among medical groups for nearly a decade. The ranking is made from data supplied by respondents as well as a questionnaire that assesses management behavior, practices, and procedures nationwide.

MGMA, founded in 1926, is the nation’s principal voice for medical group practices. MGMA’s more than 22,500 members manage and lead 13,600 organizations, in which more than 280,000 physicians practice.

Women’s Health Specialists has provided nearly 40 years of continuous service to the women on Florida’s Treasure Coast. The obstetricians, gynecologists, nurse-midwives and support staff of Women’s Health Specialists provide a full range of high quality healthcare services to women through all stages of the lives.

For more information, contact Bill Hughes, Administrator, Women’s Health Specialists, 3498 N.W. Federal Highway, Jensen Beach, Florida; (772) 219-1080, ext. 1079

Home Warranty of America has been named to the exclusive Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the fifth year in a row.  HWA was the only residential service contract company to be listed amongst the Top 50 Insurance Companies list.  The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs.

“Our growth of 36% in three sales years is phenomenal considering the current state of the real estate marketplace, and we’re honored to be named again to this prestigious list for the fifth year in a row.  I can’t say it enough that if it weren’t for our helpful employees, the astute guidance of our entire leadership team, and the continued loyalty of our customers, vendors and real estate community, we wouldn’t be here.  We pride ourselves on our service to our customers and work hard to improve it on a daily basis,” said Marc Roth, CEO and President.

In a stagnant economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent. The companies on this year’s list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region can be found at www.inc5000.com.

About Home Warranty of America

Home Warranty of America, Inc. of Buffalo Grove, IL, was founded in 1996 to provide home warranty coverage for houses, town homes, and condominiums. The Company has experienced remarkable growth to become a leading supplier of residential service contracts (home warranty) across the United States, and provides its services through real estate agents, insurance professionals, relocation companies, developers, title companies, bankers, and mortgage brokers. The Company also provides its comprehensive home warranties directly to the homeowner and takes the worry out of buying and owning a home. It offers full coverage for every buyer without the home age restrictions that are common on competitor’s products. Service is a convenient 24/7 toll-free call away and repairs are performed by qualified, approved technicians. The Company offers a 30-day, money back guarantee on every home warranty. More information is available at www.hwaHomeWarranty.com.

Distinguishing themselves as the leaders in the field of web-based autism treatment, Rethink Autism has been honored in 2011 by a wide range of education, technology and business organizations, including the Arizona State University Education Innovation Summit, the Software & Information Industry Association, the Interactive Media Awards, the American Business Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“In developing the Rethink Autism platform we worked with leaders in the field of autism treatment and research, educators and parents of children with autism to create a platform that is as easy to use as it is powerful,” said Daniel Etra, Co-founder and CEO. “With users in schools, organizations, government agencies, universities and homes in almost all 50 states, as well as 26 countries, we truly have made clinical best practices accessible to anyone worldwide. We’re very proud to be honored by so many esteemed organizations for our work.”

• Of the 10 honored companies at the Arizona State University’s Education Innovation Summit, Rethink Autism won Best in Class Curriculum for its research-based library of over 1,200 video teaching steps, parent and staff training modules, assessment tools, and automated data reporting and progress tracking features.
• At the 2011 CODiE Awards, Rethink Autism was honored as the Best Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students by third party judges and members of the twenty-six-year-old Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).
• At the Interactive Media Awards, Rethink Autism not only won the Best in Class, Education Award, it also took home the Best in Class Website in the Healthcare category.
• Governed by a board of distinguished judges and advisors, The American Business Association honored Rethink Autism with the title of Best Website in their Health Products & Services category.
• Chosen above thousands of businesses from across the nation this May, Rethink Autism was honored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce‘s Small Business Summit and named one of the 25 Free Enterprise Honorees. Companies were selected for their dedication to strong business practices and their roles in enhancing the economy.

To learn more about Arizona State University’s Education Innovation Summit, visit the organization’s home page: http://edinnovation.asu.edu/

To learn more about the SIIA CODiE Awards, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.siia.net/codies/2011/

To learn more about the Interactive Media Awards, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.interactivemediaawards.com/

To learn more about the American Business Awards, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.stevieawards.com/aba/

To learn more about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Summit, visit the organization’s home page: http://www.uschambersummit.com

About Rethink Autism (http://www.rethinkautism.com)

Rethink Autism, Inc. seeks to ensure that every child on the autism spectrum has access to effective and affordable evidence-based treatment options by providing professionals, parents, and family members with the tools and information necessary to teach children with autism in a way that is easy to understand and apply. Rethink Autism was founded in 2007 and has its headquarters at 19 West 21st Street in New York City.
Contact:

Jamie Pagliaro
Executive Vice President, Rethink Autism
jamie@rethinkautism.com
ph: 646-257-2919

Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, just announced the 7th annual 2011 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards winners live at Joe Weider’s Olympia in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards have set the standard for recognition of the best products and brands in the fitness and supplement industry.

The original 70 nominations were based on sales, and since customers’ opinions are what truly count, Bodybuilding.com let the general public vote from July 15 – August 15, 2011 to pick the final winners. There was a tie for the first time in history with the Breakout Brand of the Year (given to the most improved company) votes split down the middle between two top contenders. Another history maker – the number of votes went from 350,000 in 2010 to over one million votes this year.

With much anticipation, the results are finally here. The 2011 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards winners are:

•Brand of the Year

• Optimum Nutrition

•Supplement of the Year

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (7th year in a row – still undefeated!)

•Breakout Brand of the Year

• BPI Sports and MusclePharm

•New Supplement of the Year

• Optimum Platinum Hydrowhey

•New Brand of the Year

• Force Factor

•Muscle Builder Supplement of the Year

• Optimum Nutrition Hydrobuilder

•Pre-Workout Supplement of the Year

• USPlabs Jack3d (2nd year in a row!)

•Intra-Workout Supplement of the Year

• Gaspari Nutrition SizeOn Maximum Performance (2nd year in a row!)

•Recovery Supplement of the Year

• Scivation Xtend (3rd year in a row!)

•Protein Powder of the Year

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (7th year in a row – still undefeated!)

•Protein Bar of the Year

• Supreme Carb Conscious Bar (3rd year in a row!)

•Energy Supplement of the Year

• USPlabs Jack3d (2nd year in a row!)

•Energy Drink of the Year

• BSN N.O.-Xplode Igniter Shot

•Fat Loss Supplement of the Year

• USPlabs OxyELITE Pro (2nd year in a row!)

•Weight Gainer of the Year

• Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass

•Creatine Supplement of the Year

• BSN CellMass

•Glutamine Supplement of the Year

• Optimum Glutamine 1000 Caps (2nd year in a row!)

•BCAA Supplement of the Year (new category)

• Scivation Xtend

•Multivitamin Supplement of the Year

• Universal Nutrition Animal Pak (7th year in a row – still undefeated!)

•Joint Health Supplement of the Year

• Universal Nutrition Animal Flex (6th year in a row!)

•RTD of the Year

• CytoSport Muscle Milk RTD

•Tanning Product of the Year

• Dream Tan (3rd year in a row!)

•Packaging of the Year

• MusclePharm

The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards provide an innovative way to help customers find truly exceptional products and brands, while helping to recognize the efforts of the many great companies that make up the industry. With over 13,000 health and fitness products to choose from on Bodybuilding.com alone, it’s helpful as a consumer to know the fan favorites.

For more information visit: http://bit.ly/PRSuppAwards

Bodybuilding.com offers more than 13,000 health & fitness supplements and accessories to help more than 7.5 million people every month achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals, as well as over 35,000 pages of FREE information, including more than 20,000 articles and videos, expert online trainers, and new content added daily.

For more information: http://www.bodybuilding.com
Contact: Crystal Matthews
Email: crystal(at)bodybuilding(dot)com
Phone: 208.472.9311

Paying tribute to Freddie Mercury on what would have been his 65^th Birthday, The Asian Awards this morning announced that Freddie’s outstanding contribution to music will be honoured on 18^th October, at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.

Very few people know that Farrokh Bulsara, known to the world as Freddie Mercury, was Parsi – with origins in the South Asian community – born in Zanzibar and educated in Bombay. The Asian Awards will not only turn the world’s spotlight on the musical legacy of this iconic and inspirational man, but Freddie’s cultural heritage as well.

A host of stars including Freddie Mercury’s family and bandmate Brian May will attend the Awards, which celebrates the outstanding achievements of individuals born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh across all disciplines of life.

The Asian Awards were an ambitious idea conceived by Paul Sagoo, entrepreneur and founder of Lemon Group, and realised by co-founder Caroline Jackson Levy, Managing Director of UBM Awards. “Our goal was to celebrate the highest calibre of individuals from the Asian community across all spheres of activity,” said Sagoo. “Last year‘s inaugural event was spectacular, and set the bar high for 2011. This year, we will take it a notch higher,” added Jackson Levy.

Tickets are selling fast so call +44-(0)20-7234-8732 or visit http://www.theasianawards.com for the opportunity to celebrate Asian Excellence and network with the world’s most inspiring Asian stars in music, business, sport, the arts, science and cinema.

Notes for Editors:

ABOUT THE ASIAN AWARDS

The Asian Awards in partnership with Lebara, were an ambitious idea conceived by Paul Sagoo, entrepreneur and founder of Lemon Group, and realised by co-founder Caroline Jackson Levy, Managing Director of UBM Awards. A celebration of excellence among the global Asian community, they were launched in 2010 to recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of individuals born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh across all disciplines of life – from business to the arts, culture, sport and public service. The inaugural ceremony drew 1,000 of the most influential people in the Asian community and raised over £100,000 for its chosen charity, Save the Children. Visit http://www.theasianawards.com for further information.

The Hilton Lisle/Naperville, located just west of Chicago in Lisle, Illinois, was recently named a winner of Meetings MidAmerica “Best Of’ Award for 2011. This marks the second consecutive year to earn this prestigious honor.

Hundreds of meeting planners and subscribers of Meetings MidAmerica Magazine voted for their top hotel choices across the country, by region, based on the quality of meeting space, guest rooms, guest services and amenities, food and beverage service, high-tech services and equipment, recreational facilities and activities, the efficiency and helpfulness of staff; and overall value and experience.

“We are so proud to have been chosen by our clients for this coveted award! It is one thing to win awards from Hilton Hotels and our peers but to be recognized from our clients as a “Best Of” Hotel is as good as it gets!” says Richard Brink, the hotel general manager. “Our staff works very hard and receives continuous training in order to insure the ultimate in hospitality and service,” adds Brink. The hotel was also ranked in Top 10 of all Hilton Hotels in the U.S. for Service and Hospitality! The hotel’s awards continue for the restaurant as well. In March, 2011, OpenTable announced that Allgauer’s Restaurant at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville won the 2011 Diners’ Choice Award – Top 50 Best Brunch in the U.S.!

For additional information, contact: Meg McArdle, Director of Marketing at 630.584.0081 or email Meg.McArdle(at)Hilton(dot)com

The Hilton Lisle/Naperville hotel and Allgauer’s Restaurant with its banquet facility, catering, conference rooms and world class cuisine, is the perfect place for your business meeting, convention, board meeting, family reunion, wedding, social event or just for a romantic weekend getaway. Just west of Chicago, the Hilton Lisle/Naperville near Naperville, Illinois offers something for everyone. Convenient to downtown Chicago and O’Hare Airport, this hotel is ideally located at I-88 and Naperville Road.

To plan your event or for more information, please call 800-552-2599, email Joni.Augustine(at)Hilton(dot)com or visit http://www.HiltonLisleNaperville.com.

Contact:
Meg McArdle, Director of Marketing
Hilton Lisle/Naperville
630.584.0081
Meg.McArdle(at)Hilton(dot)com
http://www.HiltonLisleNaperville.com

Scholastic encouraged kids around the world to read more this summer by joining the Scholastic Summer Challenge — a free reading program dedicated to stopping the ‘Summer Slide,’ the common loss of skills due to being out of school during the summer.  Kids logged their minutes spent reading to Read for the World Record. Last year, kids read 52,710,368 minutes, and this year, more than 100,000 children from 4,176 schools in 22 countries smashed the world record, by reading 53,409,988 minutes…and counting!

“Congratulations to all the readers out there who took the summer challenge and read together to set a new world record for summer reading,” said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic. “In addition to being fun, reading during the summer is extremely important for kids, allowing kids to exercise the power of choice to read the books that they want to read while helping prepare them for the challenges in the next school year.”

Research continues to show that when kids have access to books and choose the books they want to read, they are more likely to read in the summer and throughout the year:

• Ninety-one percent of kids ages 6 to 17 agree with the statement, “I am more likely to finish reading a book that I have picked out myself.” (2010 Kids & Family Reading Report)
• Studies also show that making sure there are always interesting books at home can increase the likelihood of a child being a frequent reader, especially among ages 9-11 and 15-17. (2010 Kids & Family Reading Report)

While logging their minutes on the Scholastic Summer Challenge website, kids earned virtual rewards, won prizes, joined book chats with other readers and contributed toward their school’s total number of reading minutes.  At the end of the summer, the top 20 schools with the most minutes logged will be recognized in the 2012 edition of the Scholastic Book of World Records, which will be available at retail outlets and through Scholastic Book Fairs and Scholastic Book Clubs later this fall.

To further the message about the importance of summer reading, 44 Governors’ Spouses across the country joined the Scholastic Summer Challenge as Reading Ambassadors to promote literacy in their states. On behalf of the Spouse’s participation, Scholastic donated 500 books to a school selected by each First Spouse, for kids to take home and read over summer vacation — totaling 22,000 books.  Reading Ambassadors also hosted summer reading kick-off events at local schools and libraries.

Scholastic also worked with teachers and schools across the country to launch the Scholastic Summer Challenge through school-based Book Clubs and spring Book Fairs.  More than 125 school districts purchased Scholastic take-home book packsto distribute to their students with messages encouraging parents to keep their kids reading all summer long — distributing more than 2 million books in total.

Visit www.scholastic.com/summer to learn more about the Scholastic Summer Challenge. For more information about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), visit our Media Room.

DTE Energy’s Monroe Power Plant received the CET Bronze Award today for an outstanding safety and health record from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).  The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

“We are honored to present this award to DTE’s Monroe Power Plant for providing their workers with a safe and healthy work environment,” said Steve Arwood, LARA Deputy Director.  ”This award recognizes their outstanding efforts to protect their workers, while providing the energy that is fueling our economic recovery.”

The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division recognizes the safety and health achievements of Michiganemployers and employees through CET Awards, which are based on excellent safety and health performance.  The CET Bronze Award recognizes leadership and commitment to workplace safety and health resulting in significant improvement of their MIOSHA record.

CET Division Supervisor Sherry Scott presented the award to Brian Rice, Plant Manager, and Todd Burger, Site Union Safety Representative.  Rice and Burger are the Safety Committee Co-chairs and accepted the award on behalf of all employees.  Most plant employees are represented by the Utility Workers Union of America Local 223.

“This award means a lot to everyone who works at the Monroe Power Plant because it could not be achieved without a personal commitment by every individual,” Rice said.  ”Everyone has to be aware of potential hazards that could jeopardize their own safety, but everyone also has to take a personal responsibility for the safety of their co-workers.  Without a team effort where every worker is focused on the health and safety of their fellow employees, we could not achieve the safety levels that have earned us this recognition.”

The plant has completed the following criteria to receive the Bronze Award:

• Reduced their injury/illness incident rate by more than 50 percent within the last three calendar years;
• Developed and implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system;
• Established a safety and health committee, with both employee and management participation;
• Developed an employee training system, with an emphasis on how to do the work in a safe and healthful manner; and
• Worked diligently to change their workplace culture to reflect the importance of worker safety.

The award ceremony took place at a luncheon on the last day of the plant’s annual Safety Week.  During that week, most plant work is focused on safety, including a day or more dedicated to plant clean up and housekeeping.  During the course of the week, plant employees have an opportunity to participate in group safety presentations, displays and demonstrations and other activities with a safety focus.

The Monroe Power Plant is classified under NAICS code 221112 – Electric power generation, fossil fuel (e.g., coal, oil, gas).  The plant significantly reduced their incident rates over the last three years.  Their total recordable case (TRC) rate was 3.2 in 2008, 1.6 in 2009, and 1.2 in 2010, compared to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) industry average of 8.4 in 2008 and 15.0 in 2009.  Their total day’s away/restricted cases (DART) rate was 2.5 in 2008, and 0.8 in 2009 and 2010, compared to the BLS industry average of 1.8 in 2008 and 1.7 in 2009.

The Monroe Power Plant employs more than 400 full-time workers and has a well-developed safety and health system and an actively engaged Health and Safety Committee.  CET Senior Safety Consultant Jennifer Clark-Denson conducted a hazard survey at the plant.  This allowed the Monroe team the opportunity to walk through the facility with Clark-Denson and rely on her expertise to identify problem areas, which were noted and later corrected.

“Companies that establish an integrated safety and health program reap the benefits of significantly reducing their injury and illness rates,” said Scott.  ”Reducing these rates not only protects employees – it has a healthy impact on a company’s bottom line.”

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.  Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan; MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan; and other non-utility energy businesses focused on gas storage and pipelines, unconventional gas production, power and industrial projects, and energy trading. Information about DTE Energy is available at www.dteenergy.com and at www.twitter.com/dte_energy.

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For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara.  Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/michiganLARA, “Like” us on Facebook or find us on YouTube www.youtube.com/michiganLARA.

Dodge Durango has been named a “Top Safety Pick” for 2011 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS recognizes vehicles that perform “good” in front, side, rollover and rear crash test evaluations performed at its Vehicle Research Center in Virginia.  This award applies to Durango models built after May 2011.

Additionally, to be considered, vehicles also must have available electronic stability control systems, which, research has shown, significantly reduce crash risks.

The all-new 2011 Dodge Durango offers consumers 45 safety and security features, including standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which delivers three security features to improve overall vehicle stability both on- and off-road: electronic roll mitigation (ERM), which reacts and applies brakes during extreme situations, and Hill-start Assist (HSA), which works with standard Trailer-sway Control (TSC) to enhance off-road and towing capabilities.

Other safety and security features available on the 2011 Dodge Durango include Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and Rear Cross Path (RCP) detection, which aid drivers when they’re changing lanes or parking. In addition, Durango features standard seat-mounted and side-curtain air bags in the front row. The curtain air bag extends protection to second- and third-row passengers. Durango also includes standard front-row active head restraints. Additionally, drivers can remotely lower third row headrests to enhance rear visibility when the seats are not occupied.

“The Durango is the eighth vehicle from Chrysler to earn the Institute’s highest safety honor,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund. “The performance of the Durango means buyers are getting the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes, and electronic stability control for avoiding many crashes altogether.”

The new Durango joins seven other vehicles from Chrysler Group LLC that are Top Safety Picks for 2011. Earlier this year, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger were named “Top Safety Pick” by the IIHS. In selecting the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the IIHS noted the addition of torso airbags to bolster side crash protection to the vehicle’s already comprehensive list of safety features. Chrysler 200 sedan, Dodge Avenger and Journey return to the list of IIHS “Top Safety Pick” for the third straight year. Jeep Patriot is also “Top Safety Pick” when equipped with available seat mounted side airbags.

All eight Chrysler Group LLC vehicles feature electronic stability control as standard equipment for 2011.

“With the latest addition of Dodge Durango, coupled with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, Chrysler Group has eight Top Safety Picks for 2011. This recognition by the IIHS underscores our commitment to engineering safety and security technology across all vehicle segments,” said Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President – Engineering, Chrysler Group LLC. “As we continue with our product transformation, we’ll continue to engineer new technology and more capabilities into all our vehicles.”

All eight Chrysler selections employ a two-fold approach to safety including active head restraints for front seat occupants, standard antilock brake systems with four wheel disc brakes, and supplemental side airbags.

About Dodge Durango

With its four-wheel independent suspension and responsive steering and handling, Durango puts the “Sport” in Sport Utility. No other SUV on the road compares with the all-new Dodge Durango’s distinctive bold Dodge design that craftily houses a spacious three-row, seven-passenger functional, flexible and premium interior, covered in soft-touch materials. Durango features more than 30 storage areas, 28 seating configurations and a rear cargo area of nearly 85 cubic feet that fits a 6-foot couch with room for coffee table or a 10-foot ladder with the front passenger seat folded flat.

Durango also delivers the perfect blend of power and fuel efficiency. Its award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers best-in-class 290 horsepower along with a best-in-class driving range of 500 miles on one tank of fuel – that means Durango owners could drive all the way from Chicago to Nashville; San Diego to San Francisco; or New York City to Boston and back again without needing to stop for fuel. The available HEMI V-8 engine with Fuel Saver multi-displacement technology delivers a best-in-class 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines deliver best-in-class V-6 and V-8 towing with standard trailer sway control on all models (V-8 up to 7,400 lbs. and V-6 – up to 6,200 lbs.). Durango also features more than 45 safety and security features.

About Dodge

Dodge is a full line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs that are sporty, functional and innovative. With nearly 100 years of heritage, the brand has a history of providing its customers excellent quality, innovation and value. Dodge is building on the momentum of introducing six all-new or significantly redesigned products, solidifying its message that Dodge offers an excellent value for American families looking for top performance in all the places that matter – from power off the line and handling in the corners to high-quality, dependable vehicles that deliver unmatched functionality and excellent fuel economy in everyday driving situations. In fact, Dodge now offers six vehicles that deliver 25 miles per gallon (mpg) on the highway, while retaining that distinctive Dodge innovation and style. With the all-new Dodge Durango and Dodge Charger and significantly revamped Grand Caravan, Journey, Avenger and Challenger, Dodge also now has one of the youngest dealer showrooms in the country with more new product coming.

Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater Los Angeles Award winners. This group of leading entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners of the award, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. The winners were revealed at a gala event on June 21 at The Beverly Hilton.

“Ernst & Young has honored outstanding entrepreneurs like this year’s winners for the past 25 years,” said Brian Ring, Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles Program Director. “These business leaders have accomplished so much and contributed a tremendous amount to the community. They give us hope for what the next 25 years of entrepreneurs will bring.”

The Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 Award winners are:

• Ajay Handa, CEO, Columbus Technologies & Services, Inc. (Pasadena)
• Adam Miller, President & CEO, Cornerstone OnDemand (Santa Monica)
• Lyndon Faulkner, President & CEO, Pelican Products, Inc. (Torrance)
• Brandon Beck, Co-Founder & CEO, Marc Merrill, Co-Founder & President, Riot Games (Santa Monica)
• Frank Addante, CEO & Founder, the Rubicon Project, Inc. (Los Angeles)
• Neal Schore, President & CEO, Triton Media Group (Sherman Oaks)
• Steve Rechnitz, Co-Founder & CEO, Twin Med LLC (Santa Fe Springs)

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November. Additionally, venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year Award regionally are also eligible for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level. The overall National US winner then moves on to compete for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program celebrates its 25th anniversary.  The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities and more than 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

All regional honorees are invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 12, 2011, in Palm Springs, California. The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a national sponsor.

In Greater Los Angeles, sponsors include Marsh, SAP, Scherzer International, Union Bank, ADP, Montgomery & Co., RR Donnelley, Acacia Wealth Advisors, CresaPartners, JH Cohn and Strategic Equity Group.

For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.

Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® New York Award winners. This group of leading entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners of the award, leading CEOs, private capital investors and other regional business leaders. The winners were revealed at a gala event on June 8 at the Marriott Marquis.

“Ernst & Young has honored outstanding entrepreneurs like this year’s winners for the past 25 years,” said Carmine Romano, Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year New York Program Director. “These business leaders have accomplished so much and contributed a tremendous amount to the community. They give us hope for what the next 25 years of entrepreneurs will bring.”

The Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011 New York Award winners are:

• Michael Lazerow – Founder & CEO, Buddy Media
• Mia Bauer – Co- Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Crumbs Bake Shop
• Jason Bauer – Co-Founder, President & CEO, Crumbs Bake Shop
• James D’Addario – Chairman & CEO, D’Addario & Co. Inc
• Shazi Visram – Founder & CEO, HAPPYBABY
• Chetan Dube – President & CEO, IPsoft Incorporated
• Mike Narula – Founder & CEO, Reliance Communications, LLC
• Dr. Leonard Schleifer – President & CEO, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Anthony Scaramucci – Managing Partner, SkyBridge Capital, LLC
• Michael Cassidy – Founder & CEO, Undertone

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November. Additionally, venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year Award regionally are also eligible for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level. The overall National US winner then moves on to compete for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program celebrates its 25th anniversary.  The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 140 cities and more than 50 countries throughout the world. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

All regional honorees are invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 12, 2011, in Palm Springs, California. The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as a national sponsor.

In New York sponsors include Marsh, Scherzer International, SAP America Inc, HSBC, SolomonEdwardsGroup, Empire Valuation Consultants, WithumSmith +Brown, Murray Devine, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and RR Donnelley.

For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential, and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 140 cities in more than 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

The Web Marketing Association announces the call for entries for its 15th annual international WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.webaward.org. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets benchmarks for 96 industries, including sports websites, based on the seven criteria of a successful web site. The deadline for sports websites to enter to be judged is May 27, 2011.

“The sports industry is very competitive when it comes to Web development and companies can benefit from the independent evaluation of their online efforts,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Sports websites play an essential role in offering fans the latest information including stats, scores and news. Effective sports websites branch into the retail space offering fans a convenient way to purchase team products. Fans also can bring a passion to online communities not found in many other industries.”

Web sites are judged on seven criteria including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence.

All entrants benefit from receiving valuable feedback in terms of their specific scores compared against the average scores for their industry. They also may receive specific comments from the WebAward’s professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.

Winners of a WebAward in the sports category will also receive:

• Handsome statue or certificate of achievement
• Increased visibility for their company
• Marketing opportunity to promote the company website to the media
• Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
• Admiration of peers, friends and co-workers

Each year the Web Marketing Association names the Best Sports Website based on the scores submitted by the competition judges.

Recent winners of the Best Sports Website include:

2010 – Cuker Interactive for Xterra Wetsuits

2009 – BLITZ Agency for DirecTV NFL Supercast AIR Application

2008 – Reebok / Zugara for RBK DGK 2007

2007 – bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) for Golf Pride Website

2006 – The Overland Agency for Soloflex, Inc. Microsite

2005 – R/GA for Nike Basketball

2004 – Zugara and Reebok for RBK Sound and Rhythm

2003 – Refinery, Inc. for Prince Tennis Website

2002 – SportsLine.com for CBS SportsLine.com

A complete list of past winners and the entry form for companies who wish to compete for 2011 honors can be found at the Best Sports Web site page.

There is one significant change in this year’s WebAwards. The much coveted Top Agency WebAward is given to the organization who wins the most total WebAwards in a single competition. However each year many agencies win multiple awards and deserve additional recognition. This year, we will recognize each organization that wins 10 or more WebAwards with an Outstanding Interactive Developer trophy.

Participants can improve their chances on winning a WebAward by checking out the Web Marketing Association Facebook Page and becoming a fan of the page.  The Web Marketing Association will be providing hints and tips on how to improve your chances on winning a top award throughout April and May.

The 2011 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: BGT Partners, Burst Media, PR Newswire, AllBusiness, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, SES Conference, Webmaster Radio, and Website Magazine.

About the WebAwards

The Web Marketing Association’s 15th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industries by evaluating Web sites based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The WebAwards recognizes the people and organizations responsible for developing the most effective Websites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Website assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.

MONTVALE, N.J.  (Profitable.com)  Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) was recognized at the J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Roundtable in Las Vegas as a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion—one of only 40 companies to have earned this distinction this year.

To qualify for inclusion on this elite list, companies must not only excel within their own industries, but also must stand out among leading brands in 20 major industries evaluated by J.D. Power.   Five key customer “touch points” are measured:  people, presentation, process, product, and price.  

To identify the J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champions, J.D. Power evaluated more than 800 brands. Companies were identified based on customer feedback, opinions, and perceptions gathered primarily from J.D. Power’s syndicated research as well as additional, supplemental research. From these brands, 40 were chosen as the highest-performing companies that deliver service excellence to U.S. customers—both within their respective industries and across all industries measured.

According to Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, “This is an important confirmation of the extraordinary effort we have undertaken with our dealer partners over the past few years to ensure that we are delivering the very best experience to our customers.”

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States.  MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and the SLS AMG supercar.  

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans in the US.  More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.mbsprinterusa.com.

Media Site:     www.media.mbusa.com

Facebook:      www.facebook.com/mbusapressoffice

Twitter:           www.twitter.com/MBUSA_News

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  Ernst & Young has been named the overall winner of the Operational Risk & Regulation’s annual consultancy rankings for the second consecutive year, and placed first in six of twelve risk and regulatory consultant service categories.

The first place category rankings included:

• Basel II/III
• Corporate governance
• Fraud/Financial crime prevention
• Operational risk
• Operational risk software selection and implementation
• Treating customers fairly

“Demand for consultancy services has increased in this era of regulatory change, and in turn, we have seen a continued up-tick in demand worldwide for advisory services across asset management, banking and capital markets, and insurance sectors,” said Hank Prybylski, Global Financial Services Risk Management Practice Leader and Americas Financial Services Advisory Leader. “Being recognized by Operational Risk & Regulation as a top financial services consulting organization demonstrates Ernst & Young’s commitment to stay ahead of the changes the industry faces and address the evolving needs of our clients.”

Changes within the regulatory landscape will continue to alter the operating environment for financial services institutions.  Most recently, demand for risk management and regulatory advisory services has been particularly strong as organizations begin to transform the way they manage their business.

Prybylski added, “As our clients come out of the financial crisis and look at how they will improve business processes — and, ultimately, gain a competitive advantage — we will work with them on defining and implementing business strategies that are consistent with the emerging regulatory landscape.”

To view the full Operational Risk & Regulations consultancy rankings, please visit www.ey.com/us/financialservices.

Ernst & Young is a leader in serving the global financial services marketplace

Nearly 35,000 Ernst & Young financial services professionals around the world provide integrated assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services to our asset management, banking, capital markets and insurance clients.

Ernst & Young professionals in our financial services practices worldwide align with key global industry groups, including Ernst & Young’s Global Asset Management Center, Global Banking & Capital Markets Center, Global Insurance Center and Global Private Equity Center, which act as hubs for sharing industry-focused knowledge on current and emerging trends and regulations in order to help our clients address key issues. Our practitioners span many disciplines and provide a well-rounded understanding of business issues and challenges, as well as integrated services to our clients.

With a global presence and industry-focused advice, Ernst & Young’s financial services professionals provide high-quality assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, including operations, process improvement, risk and technology, to financial services companies worldwide.

It’s how Ernst & Young makes a difference.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 141,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.  For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

This press release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited located in the U.S.

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  America’s dog lovers, including those hopelessly devoted to specific breeds, will be able to get up close and personal Thursday as their favorites are judged at “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina.” The NBC Thanksgiving Day TV special (Noon – 2 p.m. in all times zones) will be complemented by video of the group judging of all 160-plus breeds at www.NationalDogShow.com.

The two-hour broadcast special, featuring the commentary of host John O’Hurley and expert commentator David Frei, will be available online after 2 p.m. ET.  It will also be available beginning Friday, Nov. 26, on Hulu.com.

Because of heavy interest from breed enthusiasts around the world, www.NationalDogShow.com offers a look at every dog in the group competition, featuring the walks, examination and judging of all the breed-winning canines.  The online video will include six new AKC-recognized breeds with expert commentary from veteran announcer and dog show expert Wayne Ferguson.

Also on Thanksgiving Day, NBC and 4mm Games is introducing a social game for dog lovers on Facebook and other digital platforms. “Dog Show Friends” will be a virtual community in which participants can adopt, nurture and train puppies while interacting with other dogs and owners and being rewarded for responsible pet ownership. The game can be accessed via www.facebook.com/nationaldogshow and at  www.dogshowfriends.com.

A total audience of nearly 20 million viewers tunes in to “The National Dog Show” each year, and the 2010 edition again follows the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is America’s most watched dog show, featuring the Group and Best in Show competition plus features and vignettes about the wonderfulness of man’s best friend through the eyes of O’Hurley and Frei.

“The National Dog Show attracts all generations and has become a holiday tradition because families can watch the show together at home,” said Jon Miller, Executive Vice President of NBC.  ”There is also growing interest in all of the different breeds, and we recognize the importance of providing online coverage of each one.”

The online coverage will also feature TV personality Mary Carillo, who will provide separate on-site features and interviews from the show.

DALLAS  (Profitable.com)  In an industry that requires disciplined management, a persistent focus on results, ongoing flexibility and boundless creativity, two individuals helped guide Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) brands’ Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy® through a time of challenge and change over the past year. Proving their mettle, Maggiano’s managing partner, Jennifer Zielinski, and Chili’s managing partner, Jaimi Phelan, distinguished themselves from more than 800 general managers nationwide to be named the 2010 Brand General Managers of the Year as part of the company’s 5-Star Challenge program designed to reward top restaurant operators.

Touting the brand’s highest guest satisfaction scores, Jennifer Zielinski, Maggiano’s Brand GM of the Year, embraces the Brinker culture’s exclusive brand of hospitality at her Indianapolis restaurant. When Maggiano’s introduced menu changes this year, Jennifer took those changes in stride with a positive attitude, working with her team members to ensure the guest experience remained superior. Jennifer is also committed to growing future leaders, developing more than 25 managers over a three-year period and helping to create a new training program. From charity cooking classes to partnering with other restaurants to raise funds for local organizations, Jennifer is equally dedicated to giving back to her community.

In August 2005, Jaimi Phelan, Chili’s Brand GM of the Year, said goodbye to New Orleans when she was displaced from her home and left without a job after Hurricane Katrina. Relocating to Tahlequah, Okla., she applied to the local Chili’s as a server, where she was quickly promoted to manager. In a short time, Jaimi became general manager of the Tahlequah Chili’s where she’s achieved positive sales results for three years running. Additionally, Jaimi mentors her management team and team members, constantly praising and sharing priceless feedback with them. Jaimi also engages her team members to give back to the community and supports a dozen local organizations, going the extra mile to raise more than $30,000 over the past two years for organizations inside and outside Tahlequah County.

“Jaimi and Jennifer consistently drove their individual restaurant sales in a highly challenging environment while empowering their team members to win together by creating an environment that offers guests a place to escape from the many demands of their busy lives,” said Valerie Davisson, Chief PeopleWorks Officer for Brinker International.

The nominees were selected for this honor based on key results criteria regarding outstanding performance and profit achievements as well as demonstrating commitment to guests, team members and their surrounding community. Brinker’s Top GM of the Year will be announced in Dallas, Dec. 8 at the Brinker corporate all-team member meeting. The winning GM will receive a crystal trophy to display in the restaurant, a trip to Hawaii, a one-year lease on a new Lexus and $25,000. Additionally, all team members at the winner’s restaurant will enjoy a party for their team and a cash bonus.

About Brinker International 

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), is one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies, serving more than one million guests daily. Founded in 1975 and based in Dallas, Texas, Brinker owns or franchises more than 1,500 restaurants in 30 countries and two territories, and employs more than 100,000. Brinker’s wholly-owned restaurant brands include Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy®. Brinker also holds a minority investment in Romano’s Macaroni Grill®. For more information, visit www.brinker.com.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich.  (Profitable.com)  Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) has once again been recognized as one of the top 500 U.S. companies in Newsweek’s second annual Green Rankings, which lists the greenest large companies in the U.S. and globally. Whirlpool ranked 116th on the list.

“It is a privilege to be named to Newsweek’s Green Rankings list for the second straight year,” said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corporation. “Our innovation and long-term commitment to the environment make this distinction possible.”

The rankings are divided among industries, with Whirlpool being recognized in the Consumer Products category. Out of a possible 100, Whirlpool Corporation’s overall green score for 2010 is 77.41, ranking it 11th in this category.

Nearly 40 years ago, Whirlpool Corporation established a corporate office for environmental control and, in 2003, the company became the world’s first appliance manufacturer to announce a global greenhouse gas reduction target. Whirlpool Corporation has made a goal that, with common standards and appropriate incentives in place, by 2015 it will make all the electronically controlled appliances it produces — everywhere in the world — capable of receiving and responding to signals from smart grids.

The Newsweek Green Rankings 2010 measures the environmental performance of the 500 largest U.S. and 100 largest global companies, in terms of revenue, market cap and number of employees. The list was launched in 2009 as the first objective ‘green’ analysis of the largest U.S. companies. The 2010 list was published in Newsweek’s October 2010 issue and on the web, and is the first to include a global companies category.

The rankings are completed with the help of ASAP Media, Newsweek’s editorial partner. Its research partners on the rankings are RiskMetrics Group, TruCost and CorporateRegister.com. Each research partner provides specific scoring data to be weighted for the overall score of each company. For more information about the 2010 Newsweek Green Rankings, visit www.newsweek.com/green.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.  

About Whirlpool Corporation’s 100th Anniversary

Founded on November 11, 1911, Whirlpool Corporation has influenced home and family life during the last century.  The company is driven by the belief that everyone needs a comfortable place to call home and has a 100 year history of creating better ways of cooking, cleaning, refrigerating and storing.  Whirlpool Corporation is focused on improving lives one person, one family, one home, one community at a time.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.  (Profitable.com)  Sara Lee Corp. ranked as a top employer for military talent, according to G.I. Jobs’ eighth annual list recognizing the nation’s top Military Friendly Employers^®. As one of only two food manufacturers on the list this year, Sara Lee Corp.’s ranked 97 and marks the first time the company has been included in the list.

“Sara Lee Corporation is very appreciative of all the work of our current and former military personnel,” said Marcel Smits, interim chief executive officer, Sara Lee Corp. “We also are aware of the tremendous skills and abilities many of these people possess, which is why we have a dedicated effort to recruit them into our organization.”

The list was drawn from a sample of 5,000 companies competing for the honor whose annual revenues exceeded $500 million. Criteria included the strength of company military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, and company policies toward National Guard and reserve service.

About Sara Lee Corporation

Each and every day, Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) delights millions of consumers and customers around the world. The company has one of the world’s best-loved and leading portfolios with its innovative and trusted food and beverage brands, including Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee and Senseo. Collectively, our brands generate nearly $11 billion in annual net sales. Sara Lee has approximately 33,000 employees in its continuing operations worldwide. Please visit www.saralee.com for the latest news and in-depth information about Sara Lee and its brands.

NEW YORK  (Profitable.com)  A solar-powered plane that can fly all night. A simple bucket-shaped box that allows trees to grow in the desert. A speck-size telescope that restores sight to the nearly blind. These are just a few of the winners of Popular Science magazine’s 2010 Best of What’s New Awards, an annual roundup of the 100 most extraordinary innovations of the year in 11 categories.

The Best of What’s New are featured in the magazine’s December issue, on newsstands and in the iTunes store today and at www.popsci.com/bown.

“Best of What’s New is more than a collection of new technologies and innovative products,” says Mark Jannot, editor-in-chief of Popular Science. “It’s a glimpse into the future, a chance to look ahead to the ways technology will transform everything from our health and the environment to how we work, play, and communicate.”

Among the winners are 11 Grand Award winners—technologies that represent a game-changing leap forward in their field. This year’s Grand Award winners are as follows. View all winners in all categories at www.popsci.com/bown.

Green Tech/Innovation of the Year: Groasis Waterboxx

This bucket-like device may help reverse the toll of deforestation in semi-arid climates around the globe. Waterboxx is an inexpensive plant incubator that keeps seedlings moist until roots grow enough to tap underground reservoirs.

Automotive: Porsche 918 Spyder

The ultimate green supercar, the Spyder’s unique power system consists of a 3.4-liter V8 racing engine paired with three electric motors. Together they produce 718 horsepower and can catapult the Spyder from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds.  

Gadgets: Apple iPad

The sleek device with the gorgeous screen sold more than three million units in its first 80 days. By using the same multitouch gestures and App Store as the iPhone, Apple created an intimate device for updating Facebook status, watching a movie, or reading a magazine.  

Engineering: Burj Khalifa

The 2,716.5-foot tall Burj isn’t merely the world’s tallest building. The Dubai skyscraper towers over every building on Earth by 1,000 feet, and the engineering that made it possible may transform the world’s skylines.

Health: GE Healthcare Vscan

Barely larger than a smartphone, this super-portable ultrasound device fits in a pocket and will save trauma doctors and emergency medics precious time in assessing internal injuries.

Aviation & Space: Solar Impulse HB-SIA

The solar- and battery-powered Solar Impulse can fly for more than 26 hours at an altitude of 28,000 feet. The aircraft was the first to complete a successful night flight on power harvested during the day.

Home Entertainment: Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT25

This 3-D television easily competes with a cineplex, thanks to an ultrafast plasma screen that produces crisp, high-def 3-D images even in motion-packed scenes.

Security: Hydronalix EMILY

Even the strongest lifeguard can’t keep pace with the pull of a riptide. EMILY, the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, is a remote-controlled rescue buoy that reaches drowning victims 10 times faster than any swimmer.

Computing: Intel Wireless Display

Intel’s Wireless Display makes the Internet watchable by streaming content from your laptop PC to your home television, without programming or wires.

Home Technology: Neato Robotics XV-11 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

The Neato surveys your home with an infrared laser range-finder to create a map of the room and a plan of attack. Then it goes to work without the bumping and redirecting of older robotic vacs.

Recreation: Sealegs 7.1M RIB

The first-ever commercial amphibious vessel with retractable all-wheel drive, the Sealegs rigid inflatable boat allows boaters to launch and land nearly anywhere. Military and rescue organizations are already using the craft.

Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world’s largest science and technology magazine, with a circulation of 1.3 million and 7.1 million readers. Each month, Popular Science delivers “The Future Now,” reporting on the intersection of science and everyday life with an eye toward what’s new and why it matters. Our readers believe that the future is going to be better, and Popular Science gives them the tools and information to improve their technology and their world. The winner of the 2004 National Magazine Award for General Excellence, Popular Science is published by the Bonnier Corporation.

Bonnier Corporation (www.bonniercorp.com), one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in the U.S., is the leading media company serving passionate, highly engaged audiences through magazines, events, digital media and leading-edge products. Bonnier Corp. is the U.S. division of the Bonnier Group, (www.bonnier.com), an international media group active in television, newspapers, magazines, movies and cinemas, books and digital media. Based in the Nordic region with substantial operations in the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Eastern Europe, Bonnier has businesses in 16 countries worldwide and employ over 10,000 people. Bonnier stands for entrepreneurship and has always combined a genuine commitment to freedom of speech with a sense for business. Bonnier is wholly owned by the Bonnier family, which has been running the company for seven generations.

SAN MATEO, Calif.  (Profitable.com)  Today, SuccessFactors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFSF) announced the latest winners of SuccessAwards Chicago 2010, the company’s annual customer awards program.

SuccessAwards recognize leaders that are leveraging SuccessFactors’ Business Execution (BizX) Software Suite to accelerate business execution and achieve real business results across their organizations. Given out this month at SuccessConnect Chicago, the fourth of five SuccessFactors 2010 customer conferences around the globe, the SuccessAwards Chicago winners are:

The SuccessROI Return on Investment Award recognizes the customer with measurement of exceptional business results working with SuccessFactors. This year, this award was given to ADC Telecommunications. ADC understands how to manage people the right way to execute more efficiently to affect their bottom-line results.

The SuccessAdoption Award, which honors organizations with the most creative, effective or original deployment of the BizX Suite, was given to Sears Holdings Corporation, the nation’s fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. A SuccessFactors customer for over five years, Sears is using seven SuccessFactors modules for 30,000 employees and has shown 96 percent usage within the organization since implementing in 2005.

The SuccessLeader Award is an award that honors an individual with unprecedented results or a unique achievement leveraging BizX. This year’s award was given to Mike Troyfter of Kohl’s, a specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand products in an exciting shopping environment. The company’s strategic use of SuccessFactors is innovative and cutting edge, and their dedicated team, including Troyfter, is always thinking about what lies ahead to move Kohl’s forward. The organization’s HR team has consistently enhanced their use of SuccessFactors – always in line with features and changes requested by employees – to make SuccessFactors a win for their user base at Kohl’s.

The MVP Community Members is an award that recognizes the SuccesssFactors members who through active participation and meaningful contribution make the customer community a richer, more helpful and more rewarding environment for thousands of peers around the world. This year, Michelle Biro of Whirlpool Corporation was recognized for her contributions to the discussions within the SuccessFactors customer community and for her product suggestions to the SuccessFactors Ideafactory to help with continuous product innovation. Michelle was a speaker at SuccessConnect Chicago and has contributed over fifty posts on SuccessFactors’ online community forum.

SuccessAwards were also given out in May for recipients at the company’s SuccessConnect events in New York City, NY and San Francisco, CA. Recipients of those SuccessAwards can be found here: http://www.successfactors.com/press-releases/detail/?id=1428288

About SuccessFactors, Inc.

SuccessFactors is a global leader in Business Execution Software. The SuccessFactors Business Execution (BizX) Suite, which is delivered through the cloud, improves business alignment, team execution and people performance to drive results for companies of all sizes. Across 168 countries and 34 languages, more than 8 million users and 3,000 companies leverage SuccessFactors every day, up from approximately 300,000 users and 100 companies in 2003. BizX bridges the gap between strategy and success by allowing every person in an organization to execute against their goals better and faster. SuccessFactors’ recent acquisitions of Inform and CubeTree supplement SuccessFactors’ core BizX strategy with solutions that align with SuccessFactors’ mission of helping companies get work done by delivering robust business insights and improved collaboration. To learn more, visit: http://www.successfactors.com/.

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This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are SuccessFactors’ current expectations and beliefs.

These forward-looking statements include statements about product strategy and performance, customer usage, expected benefits and implementation. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements include: unexpected delays in implementation; unexpected bugs or defects; outages or security breaches; user acceptance levels of the application; or our ability to manage our growth. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions proves incorrect, our results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make.

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INDIANAPOLIS  (Profitable.com)  Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has been selected as one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mother magazine for the 16th consecutive year.

Celebrating its silver anniversary this year, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies initiative selects the nation’s top companies for family-friendly benefits. About 70 percent of mothers work outside the home—and women outnumber men in the workplace for the first time in U.S. history, according to the magazine.

Lilly has a long history of creating a working environment that empowers employees to balance work and personal life responsibilities. Benefit-related programs include: on-site child care; resources and referrals; on-site summer camp; back-up care; adoption assistance; support groups; on-site conveniences; health services; nursing mother stations

Companies were selected for the 2010 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 600 questions on workforce, compensation, child care, flexibility programs, leave policies and more.  The initiative also surveys the usage, availability and tracking of programs, as well as the accountability of managers who oversee them.

Seven areas were measured and scored: workforce profile, benefits, women’s issues and advancement, child care, flexible work, parental leave and company culture.  For this year’s 100 Best, particular weight was given to benefits, flexibility and parental leave.

Profiles of the 100 Best Companies, as well as national comparisons, are in the October issue of Working Mother and at workingmother.com/best companies.

About Working Mother Media

Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers; WorkingMother.com brings to the Web home and career information, advice and a broad range of solutions daily.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers – through medicines and information – for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

NEWARK, N.J.  (Profitable.com)  For the 13^th year in a row, Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) has been recognized as one of the best companies for Latinas by LATINA Style magazine. This year Prudential ranked number two in the annual LATINA Style 50 Report. Yanela Frias, a managing director in the Treasurer’s organization, is representing the company in the magazine’s most recent issue.

Frias, responsible for the borrowing, liquidity, capital markets and capital planning functions for Prudential, joined the company in 1997 as a member of the external financial reporting group. She recalls that it was Prudential’s commitment to diversity and inclusion that first sparked her interest in the company.

“What attracted me to Prudential was the culture of the company,” said Frias. “Prudential fosters an innovative and inclusive work environment where employees can stretch and take on greater responsibilities. I knew I wanted to work for an organization where I would be rewarded for my hard work and offered challenging roles that would enhance my skill set. Prudential has certainly lived up to its reputation. I like to do new things and I’ve never been in an assignment for more than two years.”

After completing her MBA in 2000, Frias joined the strategy and competitive analysis group where she was instrumental in Prudential’s demutualization.

“The company was about to go through significant change which was very exciting and interesting,” said Frias. “I learned a great deal and built a stronger network as a result of that assignment.”

In 2008, Frias was offered another professional challenge during one of the most difficult times in the financial services industry.

“I took on the capital markets responsibility during the market crisis,” said Frias. “It was difficult, but also rewarding because I was able to influence strategic decisions that helped us manage through the turmoil.”

Frias attributes her strong work ethic and success in her career with Prudential to her upbringing and Latin heritage.

“As a child, my parents explained they left Cuba to provide me with a better life, with better opportunities,” said Frias. “They sacrificed so much, and I never want to let them down. That thought is deeply rooted in me every day.”

Frias also serves as a mentor in Prudential’s Financial Management mentoring program where she shares her experience and advice with others.

“My managers have always taken a special interest in my personal and professional growth,” said Frias. “It’s fulfilling for me to do the same by mentoring and helping to shape another individual’s career.”

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $693 billion of assets under management as of June 31, 2010, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com.